Quarantine
by MandyLeigh87
Summary: This could have been your typical high school romance. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Live happily ever after. But when a deadly illness breaks out in Forks, students at Forks' High have to put the romance aside and do what they can to stay alive. Even if that means losing a few friends along the way. Rated M ExB
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, all! So a bit of a warning, if you can't tell by the summary, this story will have character death. If that's not for you, that's fine, but please consider yourself warned and don't yell at me later saying I didn't tell you. I'm telling you now.**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Edward Cullen is staring at you again."

I set down my burger and turn slightly to my right, peeking through the few strands of hair that escaped from my braid.

"No, he's not, Ang." I sigh and keep eating. But he is. Edward Cullen is staring at me.

"You'd think the shiny new penny feeling would have worn off by now." Angela sips on her chocolate milk, which is nearly empty and making an annoying scratchy sound as she tries to suck the last bit out. "You've been here a good six months."

"When you live in Forks, and you've gone to the same school with the same people for your entire life, a new girl is like a fucking needle in a haystack," Jessica pipes in, looking up over her Algebra notes.

"Thanks?"

"But you're a very hot, sexy needle," she adds, laughing.

"Yeah, okay." I smile and turn all of my attention back to my burger, which is almost gone, just like our lunch hour. Not like Edward would have much to do with me anyway. I'm not his type. At least as far as I know.

I pack up moments before the bell rings and wish Jess good luck on her math test before I head to my locker.

"Hey." A smooth, soft voice calls from behind my locker door. I slowly close it and find myself face to face with Edward Cullen.

"Hi?" It comes out as a question, and I don't mean it to.

"You uh, dropped your pen walking out of the lunch room." He holds up my favorite pen between his fingers and hands it to me.

"Oh. Right. Thank you." I smile and toss it into my locker, expecting the conversation to end there.

"Are you almost done with that English paper?" He asks.

I turn toward him, half confused and half intrigued.

"Almost."

"What's your topic?" He smirks and leans against the lockers, like all of the guys do when they're talking to other girls. Other ones. Not me.

"The representation of women in classic literature."

"Like the whole damsel in distress character?"

"Yeah," I say. "And how it's bullshit."

He smiles so wide, I could have sworn it was just stuck that way, and pushes off from the locker. "That's why I like you, Swan. See you in History."

"Yeah." I nod, hold my books against my chest, and head to French class.

Monsieur Raymond's voice has the charisma of two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together. Even though I'm normally a good student, I find my mind wandering less than ten minutes in.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and against my better judgment (and the threat of detention if I'm spotted), I pull it out and read my text under my desk.

 _Angela: Are you going to the party tonight?_

 _Me: When have I ever answered that question with a yes?_

 _Angela: Never. Come on._

 _Me: I'm good, thx._

I turn the phone off so she won't keep texting me and slide it into my bag before turning back to French articles. Le. La. Les. Doodles on the corner of my paper. Edward Cullen. The rain outside. _Wait, what?_

I rewind my brain. Edward. Freaking. Cullen. What are you doing in my head?

It's not that it was the first time this boy was occupying space in my mind. It wasn't the fiftieth. But each time I push it away because I don't understand it and I don't want to. We don't run in the same crowd, there's a million other girls that would be better for him than I would be. But despite all the bullshit that seems to go along with being the popular kid in school, he seems different. Like when he looks at you, he actually sees you. Sometimes with the others it's like their eyes glaze over and you're talking to a wall. I appreciate him, that's all.

The bell finally rings and we're free for the next five minutes. I skillfully weave my way through the crowded halls to History, wishing this school day was over already. I have a perfectly crazy Friday night planned for myself after my shift at the diner. A cup of tea, a blanket, and the literary adventures of Elizabeth Bennett.

I slide into my seat, the first one into the room, and pull out the worksheet we got for homework last period. I make quick work of it, labeling all of the foods with the right article, and slip it back into my bag. One less thing to do this weekend.

"So, you going to the party tonight at Emmett's place?"

I jump in my seat, startled that someone else slid into class undetected. And not just anyone. _Him._

"No." I chance a glance at Edward, who is now sitting in the seat beside me.

"Why not?"

"Not really my thing."

"What's your thing?" He leans a little closer. What is this guy's deal? "What?"

"What are you doing?" I ask, leaning back in my chair. Another few students filter in and take their seats.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been here for six months and you haven't said a word to me until today."

His eyes soften, flitting down to my lips and back to my eyes in an instant. "Who knows, maybe I feel brave."

The bell rings just then and the students rush into the door before Ms. Hanson can close them out. I don't get a chance to respond to Edward's bizarre comment because she immediately announces that we're watching a video on the life and times of Abraham Lincoln.

She positions the TV screen in the middle of the classroom and shuts off the lights. Maybe it's the darkness or the fact that everyone else is looking at the screen, but I can literally feel the energy radiating from his body like a magnetic field. It makes the hair on my arm stand straight up. And I'm annoyed with myself.

I sigh. Audibly. And tap my fingertips against the desk.

"Honest Abe not keeping your interest?" Edward whispers.

"Not well enough," I admit.

The rest of the class passes by without incident. Mostly because I force myself to pay attention to the TV screen and away from Edward.

After school, I grab some books from my locker and head to my job at the local diner. I picked up this shift for Alice so she could go to the party at Emmett's that everyone was going to except me. Not that I'm complaining, I don't mind the extra money.

"Hi, Bella." Alice jumps over the counter effortlessly as I tie my apron around my waist. I feel around in the pocket for my scratch pad and pen. "Thanks so much for helping me out tonight. I owe you one."

"No problem." I tie my hair back and survey the diner. Not many people, but it is Forks. Not many is normal.

"You should stop by after the shift is over. It's going to be fun!"

"Maybe."

"Maybe means no in Bella speak." She glares at me. "Live a little."

"The party of the century is calling your name Alice. You better get going before that boyfriend of yours wonders where you are." I start toward my first table and glance back at her. "Thank you," I mouth. She means well and she's about as sweet as can be. It's just not for me.

"Hey folks, what can I get you to drink tonight?"

The shift passes by relatively slow, and just before we close for the night, my dad pulls up and steps inside.

"Hey, Bells." He pulls off his hat and sits at the counter. "Can I get a cup of coffee before you close up?"

"Sure." I whip around and grab him the last bit of coffee before I return to wiping down the tables.

"Not going to the party at that McCarty kid's place tonight?"

"You know about that?" I ask.

"I'm the Chief of Police, I know about everything."

"And you aren't going to break it up?"

He smiles. "I was young once too. I'll give them some fun before I scare the shit out of them."

"Evil man," I tease. "I'll see you when you get home."

"Drive safe." He finishes the cup, slides it to me, and leaves. I lock the door behind him and finish cleaning up.

Just as I'm about to leave, something beeps from beside the coffee machine. A few moments pass, and it beeps again.

I feel around in the darkness and find a cellphone. Alice's cell phone. She's probably freaking out without it.

If I was a good person, I would take this to her. If I was an awful person, I would go home and curl up under my blanket with a good book and forget about it. I hate being a good person sometimes.

* * *

 **A/N: Everything seems pretty normal...for now, right?**

 **I do have a good chunk of this pre-written, but at this point I can't commit to a posting schedule because that usually curses me in some way with getting sick, or getting busy and not being able to stick to it. And I don't like not sticking to what I say I'm going to do. So instead, until I get to the point where the story is complete, I will not have a "posting schedule."**

 **Thanks for joining on this next adventure, don't get too attached to anyone (*wink, wink*). I got the inspiration for this story after binge watching Containment on Netflix and wanted to play around with a "deadly virus" kind of storyline. It's different, it's got some humor in it, it's got some blood and gore in it, it's got some romance, it's got some OC throwbacks. Hope you'll give it a shot.**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I sigh as I pull up to Emmett McCarty's house. The cars line the street and I can hear the music from here. _Just a quick in and out_ , I tell myself. All I need to do is give her the phone and make a quick exit.

I grab the phone from the passenger's seat and head inside. I recognize most people, red cups in their hands, trying to flirt with or impress every one around them.

"Maggie. Have you seen Alice?" I ask, tapping the shoulder of my running partner in gym.

"Bella! I didn't know you were coming!" She gives me a sloppy hug. "Last I saw her, she was out back compiling a search party to look for her phone."

"This phone?" I hold up Alice's pretty pink phone and smile. "She left it at the diner."

"Oh, she's going to love you!"

"Thanks."

I follow Maggie's instructions and make my way through the house. I spot Rosalie, Edward's sister and Emmett's super-hot (his words) cheerleader girlfriend. Jasper, Alice's boyfriend and Edward's best friend, is mixing drinks in the kitchen.

"Call it again!" Alice yells from the backyard. "It has to be here somewhere!"

I step out onto the back porch, which is filled with people, and try to call out to her.

"Alice!" I wave the phone in the air. "Alice!"

She finally spots me and for a moment, her fearful expression turns into one of excitement. Not because she really wanted me to come that badly, but because she thought she convinced me to come.

"Bella!"

"You left your phone at the diner," I tell her, once I reach her on the lawn.

"I thought my life was over!"

"Yeah, I bet." I nod. "Well, see ya."

"Thanks!" She waves and heads back to her friends and I begin back the way I came, already deciding on which show I'm going to binge on Netflix later.

"Bella!" Edward calls from across the lawn. The girl he's talking to glares at me for taking his attention away. Not like I meant to anyway.

He takes another swig of his drink and jogs across the yard to me.

"Hi." I manage an awkward wave.

"I thought you said you weren't coming," he says.

"I wasn't." I point back to Alice, who is now retelling the dramatic few hours that her phone was missing to a group of girls. "Alice forgot her phone at the diner. I just brought it to her."

"That was nice of you."

"Yeah." I nod, sticking my hands in my jean pockets. "Well, I should probably get going."

"You just got here. Come have a drink with me." He smiles and my knees basically turn to Jell-O right there.

"I shouldn't drink, I'm kind of a lightweight and I have to drive back."

"Wouldn't want the Chief catching you, eh?" He winks. "Come for a walk with me then."

I narrow my eyes at him. Drunk boy at a party asking me to go into the woods with him? Yeah, no.

"Hands to myself. I promise." He drops his drink and forces his arms inside his shirt.

That would be pretty hard to attack someone with your arms like that. "Fine. But be warned, I have pepper spray."

"Consider myself warned."

We meander across the lawn and easily find the trail at the edge of the woods. I was back here once, as a kid. I didn't visit often, but I remember one time I did and Emmett's mom asked me to his birthday party. Probably because I was the Chief's kid and she felt bad I didn't really have friends here.

From what I remember, the trail winds through the forest before it reaches the river, then juts along the edge there for miles. Even though it's dark, I can see the tinge of fall starting to paint their edges.

"So, how have you liked living in Forks so far?" Edward asks.

"It's…different. I'm used to big city and warm weather, so it was a big change." I step over a large branch and we continue on.

"You lived with your mom before right?"

"Yeah, my stepdad and her travel a lot and they all thought it would be better for me to be in a more stable environment, I guess." I shrug. Because uprooting your daughter from her senior year of high school with all of the friends she's known since she was a kid is considered a pillar of stability.

"I see. So, what's your story, beyond that?"

I stop, confused. "My…story?"

"Yes. Who are you, besides the Chief's daughter? What makes Bella Swan tick?"

"I don't know," I mumble.

"Oh, come on. What do you do for fun?"

"I like to draw I guess."

"Are you any good?"

I laugh. "How is anyone supposed to answer a question like that?"

"Well, I can tell you how I would answer that question. And it would be a definite no. I barely got a gold star in first grade for coloring inside the lines."

"I guess I'm kind of good then."

"Will you show me something sometime?"

I blush. "Sometime."

A piercing, blood-curdling scream echoes through the woods, really ruining the moment, whatever the moment is.

"What was that?" I look out into the darkness, trying to figure out where it came from.

"I don't know. Let's get back." He quickly takes his arms out of his shirt and grabs my hand, pulling me back toward the way we came.

Once we get back to the lawn, almost everyone is standing at the edge of the trees looking in. They probably heard the same thing we did.

"Who was that?" Edward asks, releasing my hand.

"No clue," Emmett says. "Animal?"

"That was no animal." I shake my head. "I know what an animal sounds like. That was human."

Just then, Mike Newton and Tanya Denali scramble out of the woods, both them out of breath, looks of complete terror on their face.

"What happened?" Emmett asks.

"There was a dead deer. We were laying there and I looked over and it was staring at me!" Tanya screams. "Blood coming out of his eyes and his mouth and...ew!"

"She got scared so we came back," Mike adds.

" _She_ got scared?" Emmett teases.

"Did it get shot or something?" Edward asks.

"I don't think so." Mike shrugs. "There wasn't a ton of light in there, but I didn't see a bullet wound. I think it was sick."

"Gross." Alice sighs heavily and leaves, her minions and Jasper following.

I take that as my opportunity to leave. "I should probably head home." I turn to Edward. "Thanks for the walk."

"Anytime."

No one else really acknowledges the fact that I'm leaving, or me in general. I easily pass through the crowd, which is starting to disperse. No one says "No, Bella, please stay." Or "One more drink, Bella." I don't know if I like it or loathe it. One thing I do like, I've decided, is Edward Cullen.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so much for all of the positive reaction to this story and the first chapter! I'm glad you're as excited as I am to see how this goes.**

 **Due to the holiday, this will probably be the last update until after Christmas. For those of you that celebrate any kind of holiday this time of year, I hope it's a good one. If you don't celebrate anything, I hope you have a wonderful week!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I work long shifts the next two days at the diner and by the time Monday rolls around, I'm actually excited to go back to school.

"Guess. What." Jess bounces over to me as I put my backpack in my locker. It's too early for this much perky.

"I can barely contain myself," I say. "What?"

"I went out. On a date. With Mike. Newton." She squeals, jumping up and down in her excitement.

"What?" I shake my head. "When?"

"Saturday night. I saw him that morning, well Ang and I went to the store to get some magazines and snacks, and he was there returning some cans from Emmett's party on Friday. He saw me and we started talking and he finally asked me out."

"Really?" Other than the fact that I think Mike is a total jackass, I also saw him exiting the woods Friday with Tanya. His pants were undone and her shirt was askew. It didn't take much detective work to figure out what was going on there. Not like I care about other people's sex lives, but when he's asking out my best friend here not even 24 hours after that, I care.

"Yeah!" Her smile falls. "Why aren't you excited for me?"

I sigh. "Listen, Jess. I was at the party on Friday and Mike...he was with Tanya. I saw them."

"Are you serious right now?" She snaps. "You're that jealous of the fact that someone like Mike actually likes me that you're going to just make up stories to try and ruin it?"

"What? Jess?"

"You think I'm going to believe that Mike would do that, and even more unbelievable that you were at Emmett's party? If it wasn't so evil of you, it'd be laughable."

"I am not lying."

"Whatever, B." She throws one last glare at me before stomping away.

 _Teenagers_. And I say that even when I am one.

Although I can't say I blame her for not believing I was at Emmett's party. It'd be more likely for me to be on the surface of the moon than at a party. But I was.

I slam my locker and head to my first hour, wondering how long she's going to be mad at me for.

By the time lunch rolls around, I have at least a tentative answer. Her and Angela are sitting on the opposite side of the lunchroom, at a table with no more seats. So, I'm obviously not wanted.

I catch Angela's eye from across the room and she frowns. Knowing her, she doesn't want to get in the middle of it, but Jess can be a little scary when she's mad and I don't want to cause any issues between them. I wave at her to tell her it's okay and find another seat.

I watch Mike enter the lunchroom, and Tanya and Jess easily spot him. I feel bad for them, honestly. He made both of them feel special, so they think they actually mean something to him. What an ass. Hopefully Jess sees that before she gets too invested.

I nibble on my sandwich and doodle on one of the napkins as the time passes.

"This isn't your usual crowd," Edward says, slipping into the empty seat beside me.

I look around the rest of the table and am met with a terrified group of freshman looking at me like I'm a monster.

"You either." I glance over his shoulder at the normal popular kids' table, all filled with the normal players, except for him.

"Rift in the Three Musketeers?" He asks.

"I guess you could say that."

"You wanna talk about it?"

I kind of do. Although he's the last person I ever expected to do it with.

I tell him all about the encounter at the locker this morning, and he listens, not acting like it's some stupid teenage girl drama like it really is.

"Mike is kind of an ass," he says, when I'm finished.

"Aren't you friends with him?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I don't think he's an ass sometimes." He touches my shoulder. "I'll talk to her, if you want. If you think she'd believe me."

"Believe you? You're Edward Cullen. She's only had a crush on you since Kindergarten, from what I've been told. She'd probably believe you if you told her the earth was flat."

"It's not?" He teases.

"Last time I checked, no."

"You weren't lying were you?"

"About what?"

"Your artistic abilities."

I immediately blush. Not because he sees my doodles, but because anyone can see it's distinctly his face. On a napkin.

"Oh." I quickly scrunch it up and toss it on my plate. "I was just passing the time."

Just then, the bells rings, and the lunchroom erupts in the chaos that is "making it to your next class on time."

"I'll see you next hour." Edward grabs his belongings and joins the masses. We're herded like cattle, out the tiny double doors that lead from the cafeteria into the halls, and disperse from there.

I make a quick stop at my locker and turn to go to my next class when I see her.

Tanya walking, more like stumbling down the hall. She trips over her own feet and falls into a small group of people. She doesn't get up right away, her shoulders heave up and down like she's trying to catch her breath.

"Tanya, are you okay?" One of her friends rushes to her side.

"No. I can't breathe," she gasps. "I can't." She starts to cough, so violently that she falls again, this time onto the ground.

As soon as she does, everyone around her gasps. Her face has these strange spots all over it, almost like pimples, but they're huge and raw. The next time she coughs, blood spurts from her mouth like an erupting volcano.

"Oh my God..." I whisper, instinctively backing up.

Mr. Franklin, the math teacher, steps out into the hallway to see what the commotion is. When he spots Tanya, he immediately springs into action.

"Everyone, back up. Back up, people!" He kneels down beside Tanya and checks her out. She coughs again, spewing another rain of blood.

Mr. Franklin backs away, shocked, his shirt and his face dotted with red spots. "Oh, dear." He turns to another student. "Call 911!"

By that time, more teachers and students had gathered. I'm frozen, standing by my locker with my hands gripping my books so tightly that I can't feel my fingers.

"Come on, guys. Let's give her some room. Ambulance is on the way." Principal Walters starts pushing all of the students back, urging them to get to class while they tend to Tanya.

I force myself to look away and robotically walk to my next class, one foot in front of the other.

Edward is already in his seat, seemingly blissfully unaware of what's going on in the hallway. He's got his headphones in, working on his homework before class starts.

I plop down beside him, still shaking and unable to speak. When he finally notices me, he immediately pulls his headphones off.

"Bella? What's wrong?" He asks.

"Did you see her just go down?" A student says, walking in the door.

"No, but I saw the blood, man. It was all over Mr. Franklin's face!" Another says.

As the classroom fills with students, all chattering about Tanya, Edward seems to get a good idea of what happened without me uttering a single word.

"Did you see it?" He asks softly.

All I can do is nod.

"Are you okay?"

I shake my head.

I can tell he's hesitant, because the reality is that we really don't know each other that well, but he puts his arm around my shoulders.

Our teacher tries to run a normal class for about five minutes before she realizes it's not going to happen and declares it a study hour.

"What do you think was wrong with her?" I ask, finally able to speak. His dad's a doctor, after all.

"I don't know, Ebola?" He says, trying to lighten the mood, but even he doesn't feel right about it. "She might just have the flu. Sometimes if you cough hard enough, you can cough up a little blood."

"It wasn't a little. It was..." I pause. "It was like it was coming out of a hose."

He doesn't have a response.

A text ringer goes off on someone's phone. Then another one. Then another one. The teacher doesn't bother yelling at anyone for it.

As each student reads their texts, the talk starts.

 _She started bleeding out of her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth._

 _She was convulsing as they took her out in the ambulance._

And the final one. The worst one.

 _She's dead._

* * *

 **A/N: And we have our first human victim!**

 **I wasn't originally planning on updating until after the holidays, but have been able to get a lot of work done so I didn't see a reason to hold out on putting up another chapter :)**

 **Who was right about the first death? Who is next?!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Dear Students," the principal's voices booms over the loudspeaker. "Due to the medical emergency earlier today, we will be dismissing classes early today. Please gather your belongings and exit the school in an orderly fashion. Busses are ready for routes."

Usually, if school was getting out early, people would be cheering or running through the halls celebrating. Not today.

Today, everyone is quiet at their lockers as they grab their stuff. The spot where Tanya fell is blocked off and hidden with sheets.

Groups of students huddle outside, crying over their friend.

Before I can even reach my car, my dad is calling me.

"Bella, where are you?" He asks.

"Just leaving school." I sigh. "Is it true? Is she dead?"

"Yes, I've just seen her parents. I want you to come straight home, understand?"

"Yeah, sure." I open my car door and throw my bag into the backseat. A few cars down, I spot Edward getting into his car. We lock eyes for a few moments before he offers a wave, and then we both get in our cars and get in the line to get out of the parking lot.

I go straight home, just like my dad asked me to, and he's there waiting for me.

As soon as I walk through the door, he envelops me in a hug. We're not the most affectionate people out there, me and my dad, so I can tell something is weighing heavy on him.

"Telling a parent that their child is dead is the worst part of my job," he mumbles into my hair.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

We don't say anything else. Not then, not through dinner, not until later that night when we were watching the news.

"Forks High mourns the loss of one of its own tonight," the anchor begins. "Senior Tanya Denali died today after a short battle with illness. Authorities are not releasing more information at this time, but classes will be canceled tomorrow. Grief counselors will be on hand for students when they return on Wednesday."

"Do the doctors know what it was?" I ask.

"No. Must have just been some kind of bug. They said she could have had a weakened immune system and it just affected her more than normal."

"I saw her." I shudder, thinking back on the memory. "Her face, had these...things on it. I'd never seen anything like it before."

"Dr. Cullen said he would update me once the autopsy and the other test are performed."

I eventually get tired and kiss him on the top of the head before I go to bed. I'm asleep almost before I lay down, and wake up the next day at nearly noon. I'm not usually one to sleep in this late.

I check my phone, where I have five texts from Jess (she must not be mad at me anymore).

 _I can't get ahold of Mike._

 _I'm worried._

 _He isn't answering my texts or my calls._

 _I've left voicemails._

 _Do you think he's ignoring me on purpose?_

I text her back.

 _No._

I roll out of bed, hop on my computer, and scroll through Facebook for a few minutes. Most of the posts are about Tanya, about how there's going to be a vigil tomorrow night at the football field and how much she'll be missed. I never really cared for the girl, but I sure didn't think she deserved to go like that.

A little box pops up. A private message from Edward Cullen.

 _How are you doing?_ He asks.

 _Okay...Did your dad say anything to you?_

 _No,_ he replies. _He doesn't usually talk about his work other than the mundane surgical stuff._

 _Oh._

There's a long pause, but I can see he's typing.

 _I know this might be a little morbid, considering we're supposed to be in mourning today. But do you want to hang out today?_

I...am not expecting that.

 _Bella?_ He asks.

 _Ok,_ I answer. I don't mean it to sound short, but it's all I can manage.

Two hours later, Edward is sitting in my kitchen.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I ask.

"Water would be great."

I grab both him and myself a glass of water and we retreat to the living room to watch TV.

"How are your friends doing?" I take a sip of my water. "I know a lot of them were close with Tanya."

"Not that great. Maggie and Kate are devastated. They're as close as you, Jessica, and Angela are. Speaking of, have you guys made up?"

"I think so." I shrug. "She mass texted me this morning because Mike won't answer her phone calls."

"He's probably holed up somewhere getting drunk and high. He'd been hooking up with Tanya for awhile, I would imagine he's a little upset."

"To lose his piece of ass?" I ask.

"Oh, come on. I know Mike's kind of a jerk, but he's not that shallow."

"I will reserve my right to make that distinction when he stops messing around with my friend's emotions."

My dad walks in the front door, starts toward the kitchen, stops, and turns back around. I will bet that he's surprised to see a boy in the house. Especially since that boy is Dr. Cullen's son.

"Hi, Bella," he says. "Mr. Cullen."

"Chief Swan." Edward stands and shakes my dad's hand. "Pleasure to see you again."

"Uh huh." Dad raises his eyebrows and gives me "the look" before heading to the kitchen.

"So," Edward says, turning back to me. "When do I get to see more of your artwork?"

"Oh." My eyes flash to the stairs. "I have some up in my room."

"You should go get your sketch book, Bella," my dad says, suddenly appearing in the hall. "You know, alone. Go up and get your book and bring it back here. To show Edward. Who will stay down here."

"Got it, Dad." I give him a thumbs up and run upstairs to get it. By the time I'm back downstairs, my dad is sitting, uncomfortably close, to Edward on the couch.

Instead of sitting next to him, I sit in the chair and hand Edward my sketch book.

"It's mostly still-life. Fruits, veggies, bowls," I say.

"These are some damn good bowls," Edward says, flipping through the pages.

"My girl is talented," Dad boasts. "She's going off to some fancy art college next year."

"Is that so?" Edward asks.

"Yeah. Some RADY or something?"

"RISD, Dad. The Rhode Island School of Design."

"No way," Edward says. "I'm headed to Princeton. East Coast!" He raises his hand and gives me a high five, in a completely awkward and nerdy way. "We won't be too far from each other."

"Oh, great," Dad says, glancing at his watch. "It's getting late, you should probably head home, Edward."

"It's only 3 o'clock, Dad," I say.

"Maybe his parents eat dinner early, Bella," he replies.

"Uh. My parents eat dinner at a completely acceptable, normal time," Edward adds.

"Well, regardless. With everything going on, I'm sure they want you back home."

Edward doesn't argue, probably because my dad is the chief of police and carries a gun at his side.

"He's right, I should get home," Edward says. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Bella."

After he leaves, my dad immediately begins making dinner, probably just to prove a point that people do in fact eat this early.

When we're done, I head back up to my room and start doing the homework I would have done last night if we would have had school today.

I fall asleep and wake early, not by my alarm, but by my dad's phone.

"Yeah?" He answers. "Sure, sure. I'll be right in." He pops his head into my room. "I've got to head out."

"Everything okay?"

"Not sure," he says. "Mr. Newton just called down to the station. Mike hasn't been home since school on Monday."

"And they're just contacting you guys?" I ask.

"They thought maybe he was staying with friends. Said it wasn't unusual for him to be gone for a night, but when they woke up this morning and he still wasn't home, they got worried."

Two days? My dad sends out an APB if I'm five minutes late to our weekly diner dates.

"What are you going to do?" I ask.

"First, I'm going to go talk to the parents and get any information I can. We'll probably send patrols out to check out some of the normal hang out spots for teenagers. Do you know the guy?"

I shake my head. "Not really."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later then." He nods and leaves.

As soon as I pull into my parking spot at school, Jess swarms my car. We're one of the first ones here, which is not uncommon.

"Did you hear Mike is missing?" She asks, her eyes red with tears. "I knew something was wrong."

"I'm sure he's fine, Jess. Edward said he's probably somewhere getting high."

"I don't know, Bella. It's strange of him not to return any of my calls. It's like he just disappeared."

I notice something then that draws my attention. Mike's bright blue Mustang is parked in the row in front of me.

"See?" I say, pointing to his car. "He's here. He's fine. I can even see him, he's sitting in the front seat."

As soon as Jess spots the car, she's off running toward it. I follow behind, waiting for the mix of verbal smackdown and love fest that's about to happen. Instead, when she reaches the front of the car, she screams.

"What?" I run over to her and see what she sees. Mike in his front seat, face covered in the same raw, inflamed spots as Tanya's, mouth open like he's screaming in pain. Blood lines run down from his eyes, his nose, his ears, his mouth. Definitely dead.

I immediately pull out my phone and dial my dad.

"Bella?" He answers.

"We just found Mike Newton."

* * *

 **A/N: They're dropping like flies! Yikes!**

 **Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and holiday, if you celebrate!**

 **In news, I have been nominated for the Veteran Author (WUT?!) category in the 2016 TwiFic Fandom Awards! Thank you to whoever may have nominated me. Completely surprised and humbled to be included in that category with some wonderful authors.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"What's going on?" Edward pushes his way through the crowd gathered in front of the school. They're watching as the police, my dad included, set up a perimeter around Mike's car.

The three agents working directly around the car have what look like hazmat suits on, completely covered from head to toe. The rest are a good hundred feet back.

"Mike," I say. "He's dead."

"What?"

"His face looked like Tanya's. He must have caught whatever bug she had." I get the creepy crawlies just thinking about it and the fact that I was so close to him. I hope I don't get it. "It looks like he may have been there since Monday. His parents called the police this morning to report him missing."

"And no one noticed him here for over a day?" Edward asks.

"No one was here yesterday." I shrug. "It's not that unusual for people to leave their cars parked up here." _Poor kid. Poor parents_.

I can tell by the look on my dad's face that this is weighing on him. We haven't always been close, but cases involving kids, especially my age, always get to him.

He's talking to some lady I don't recognize. She's in a fancy suit with a fancy badge, definitely not from Forks.

"Let's get inside, guys!" The principal and a few teachers try to herd us in and get us started on the day.

We get through the first few hours as normally as we can. The teachers try to teach, but just like Monday, everyone is buzzing with the news about Mike.

By lunch time, something's changed. The teachers, they're different. Losing two students in the span of a few days is bound to affect them, but even from this morning to now, something has shifted. They're so quiet and stone-faced, and it scares me.

During lunch, I'm sure all of the students would have loved to sit at the windows and watch whatever is going on outside, but they've put newspaper up over the windows.

Jess is inconsolable. Not only did she just lose the guy she had a major crush on, but she had to see him...like that. It's enough to send anyone into crying fits.

After lunch, instead of heading to our classrooms, everyone is led into the gym. I grab a seat next to Jess and Ang. Edward, Emmett, and Alice slip into the row behind us.

"You okay?" Edward grabs my shoulder.

"Yeah." _I mean, I guess, right? As okay as I can be in this situation._

The gym, which would normally be in absolute chaos if this were a pep rally or one of those ridiculous "drugs are bad" seminars, is almost silent.

All of the teachers, counselors, even the lunch ladies and custodians stand at the side of the gym, faces pale and eyes wide.

Something's going on. Something big.

The principal steps forward and brings the microphone up with a shaky hand.

"Hey, kids," he says. "Listen, I know the last few days have been rough. This is new territory for us, but our number one priority is your safety here at school and wherever you go." He nods to another teacher. "We're going to patch in a lady named Ms. Larson. She's going to tell us a little more about...where we go from here."

One of the teachers rolls out a projection screen and a few moments later, a somewhat grainy face appears. It's the same woman my dad was talking to earlier.

"Hello, everyone," she begins. "My name is Cindy Larson, I work with the CDC. For those of you who aren't familiar, that's the Center for Disease Control. Our main focus within our organization is the study and prevention of disease." The video feed cuts out for a moment, and then she's back. "We received a call from your local hospital regarding the first female victim from two days ago. Now, normally, we don't get involved this early in a potential outbreak, but considering the circumstances, and now with a second victim we feel it's necessary."

Jess takes my hand. She's really scared now. We all are.

"I won't go into all of the details, because frankly at this point we don't know all of the details. What we do know is that we want to make sure that whatever illness these two young people contracted doesn't spread and that we do everything we can to limit the number of victims. Based on what we know about the incubation period, most infections begin to manifest within 48 to 72 hours." She pauses. "So, we will be enacting a mandatory quarantine for this school and the perimeter, for the next 72 hours. We don't expect or anticipate any new cases, and as long as that holds, you'll be released back to a parent or guardian after the quarantine is lifted."

She says a few more things, but I can't hear her because the weight of what she's said starts to sink in. Everyone around me starts to panic, pull out their cell phones, probably calling their parents.

"People!" Principal Walters says. "People, people!" He waits, and then whistles. "Hey!"

Everyone stops.

"Now, listen. I know this isn't how you planned to spend your next three days. It's not how I planned to spend mine either. But this is what we're being told needs to be done, so let's just do it and get out of here, okay?" He nods. I can tell he's trying to be comforting, but he feels the same way we do. Scared shitless. "All of your parents are being contacted and given all of the information they need. Now, I need to share some information with you."

The other teachers start passing out flyers to each row of bleachers.

"You will all be assigned a home room, which will be your home base over these next few days. We have enough food in the cafeteria to serve meals, and the CDC is coordinating a supplies drop for cots, blankets, pillows, and other supplies like hygiene products. They're still conducting research on exactly what this thing is and how it spreads, but in the meantime, they suggest to keep some distance between our persons and no...exchanging of any bodily fluids."

We should laugh at that, but no one does.

"We have set up a second tier quarantine in the east wing. If you feel ill, in any way, please tell someone. You will be directed to the second tier quarantine for isolation. Again, this is just to be safe. Just for your protection."

A loud thud, so large that it shakes our seats, startles us from outside in the courtyard.

"That will be our supplies," Principal Walters says. "Your room assignments will be handed out by Miss Tate and Mr. Garfield. Once you receive your assignment, please continue outside to the courtyard to receive your cot, blanket, pillow, and supply packet. Before you are allowed to go to your homeroom, the school nurse will be giving you a check up to see if there are any signs of infection. Please stay in the main hallways of the west and north wing, and the cafeteria. We ask that you don't go wandering around the school outside of those areas."

Most of the teachers leave the room, while Miss Tate and Mr. Garfield set up two stations, and slowly and solemnly, all of us line up to receive our assignments.

I want to call my dad, but I'll wait until I'm alone. Something doesn't seem right. It all sounded nice and pretty when Ms. Larson was explaining everything, but I can't imagine the CDC getting involved at all this early, let alone orchestrating something of this magnitude. Maybe my dad can tell me more information.

It takes nearly an hour to get my assignment. Then, I head outside, just to get in another line.

Out in the courtyard, there's a massive pile of crates in the middle, so big that they almost remind me of shipping crates.

As I wait, I look out through a small alley that cuts through the building. Normally, I can see all the way to Mrs. Callum's yard, but not today. Today, there's a row of tanks blocking my view. Armed guards keep watch, their weapons at the ready. For what?

I grab my cot, which is bulky and horribly hard to carry by myself. I sling my blanket over my shoulder, my pillow under my arm, and carry my supply packet by the tips of my fingers.

Another line to get looked at by Nurse Siobhan. She's an older, portly woman, who reminded me a lot of my Grandma Swan. There's a small tent set up for each student to get their exam privately, so I have no idea what I'm in for.

When it's my turn, I step inside and set my things down. Nurse Siobhan looks...overwhelmed. She's used to dealing with scrapes and routine vomit, not the next Black Plague.

She takes my temperature and asks me some questions before I'm released.

I'm assigned to room 313. Once I make it there, I set up my cot at the spot closest to the door so I can see out into the hall. Makes me feel like I'm not so closed in. I peak into my supply packet and find a toothbrush, toothpaste, and tiny bottles of shampoo and body wash.

The rooms slowly fill up. Angela and Jasper are in my homeroom. I see Edward, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie slip into the room across the hall. I'm not sure where Jess is, she must have been assigned to another room.

Once everyone is occupied with getting settled, I tell them I'm going to the bathroom and slide out of the room, cell phone in hand.

I bypass the bathroom and find the janitor's closet so I can call my dad.

My fingers shake as I dial his number, and I realize for the first time I'm letting myself be as scared as I really am. It rings three times, and I can't even explain how much I need to hear his voice right now.

"Hello..." He answers.

"Dad," I sigh. I start to cry as my knees buckle beneath me. I just want to talk to my dad and now that he's on the phone, I don't know what else to say.

"You've reached the voicemail of Charlie Swan, Chief of Police. Please leave a detailed message and I'll return your call as soon as possible."

My heart sinks. Tricked again by the old voicemail.

"Dad, it's Bella. Please...please call me when you get this. Please."

As soon as I hang up, I wipe my eyes, and slip back out into the hallway. No more tears. Not today.

* * *

 **A/N: So the Quarantine begins! An entire high school of kids thrown together for 3 straight days, what could go wrong?**

 **Happiest of New Years to all of you! I hope this year brings each of you love and happiness.**


	6. Chapter 6

"Well this will be an interesting few days..." Edward sits down on the edge of my cot as I sketch on a sheet of paper.

"This isn't your home room, Cullen," I tease.

"No, I'm right across the way." He points across the hall at his cot, which is positioned just like mine in the doorway there. I can see it from mine easily.

"Did you do that on purpose?" I ask.

He leans in and smiles. "Maybe."

"Have you talked to your parents?"

He nods. "Yeah, got through to my dad a couple of hours ago. He said he offered to lead the team that's supposedly coming in here to run the second tier quarantine, but they wouldn't let him."

"Why not? He's the best doctor I know."

"Conflict of interest, I guess. When your son could be a patient, I suppose that can mess with your head."

"Guess so." I shrug, and shade in the leaves of the tree I'm drawing. "I can't get through to my dad. It just keeps going to voicemail."

"I'm sure he's busy. He'll call soon." He bumps my shoulder with his, I'm sure trying to make me feel better, but I still just want to talk to my dad. I should call my mom, but she is going to freak out. I'm sure she'll hear about it soon enough. I wouldn't be surprised if we're all over the national news by tonight. I decide to send her a quick text to let her know I'm okay, and expect her to call the moment she receives it anyway.

"Yeah."

"Do you want to go grab some food?" Edward asks.

"Sure." I turn to Angela. "Do you want to eat?"

"No, I'm good. Has Jess texted you yet? I was going to go find whatever room she's in." She looks up from her phone.

"Not yet. She might be stuck in the line outside, it was pretty long." I glance at the clock. It's been five hours since the assembly, but the line was bad. I wouldn't be surprised if people were still trying to get through.

I tell Ang I'll keep an eye out for Jess, and Edward and I head to the cafeteria.

It's filled with students, but far from a normal day. No one is throwing food at their friends across the table. Or making jokes. No loud music or people just being stupid. Everyone is in small groups, sitting quietly at their tables while they nibble on food.

"What do you want?" Edward asks.

I look around, imagining eating this cafeteria food for every meal for the next few days. It's hard enough to deal with once a day.

"Maybe just a salad." I'm not that hungry anyway.

I scan the room for Jess as I make my plate, but I don't see her. I find Jasper and Alice, settled into a booth on the other side. Emmett and Rosalie are just walking in, hand in hand.

Edward and I find a table in the corner by a window, still covered to prevent us from looking outside. There's a small corner of the paper that's pulled back and my curiosity gets the best of me.

I pull it back a little farther and look outside into the parking lot.

Mike's car is still in place, sitting along with the rest of our cars. Beyond the parking lot, a tall fence, barbed wire at the top, lines the way. More tanks, just like the ones I saw earlier, are behind that. I can't see beyond the tanks because there are crazy bright lights shining onto the fence and toward the school.

"World still moving out there?" Edward asks, taking a bite of his burger.

"I don't know," I whisper honestly. And I really don't.

"Hey," he says, softer. "It's going to be okay."

"Yeah. I don't know, I'm just..." I shake my head. "It's really freaking me out."

"Try not to think about it."

"What else can I think about?" I ask. It's a little hard to think about anything else, when death could be staring you right in the face.

"Think about me," he says.

"What should I think about you?" I ask, allowing myself to laugh.

"You can think about how handsome and amazing I am." He leans back and winks at me, and for a few moments, the seriousness of the situation melts away and I feel like I can take a breath.

"Ha," I tease. But he's right. I've always known he was handsome, but I can't say I always knew he was this amazing, simply because I really haven't known him until recently. Maybe it's the gravity of everything going on around us, but I'm starting to feel such a genuine connection to him that it makes all of this more and less scary at the same time.

"I want to take you out on a date," he says.

"Uh. Okay, can we make it out of here alive first?"

"No. Why wait?"

"Because..." I laugh. "We're stuck at school, and sleeping on cots, and who knows when we can get a good shower and change of clothes..."

"And what if we don't make it out of here alive?" He asks. "What if this is all we get?"

"You want to spend one of your last nights on Earth on a date with me?" Sounds like a lame way to say goodbye to the world. I'd go with something like streaking through a crowded street or lighting fireworks off the roof. But we are a little limited, I suppose.

"Absolutely."

I sigh. "Okay, then. Let's go on a date."

"Pick you up at your place at 8?" He smirks and slides out of his seat.

I pick at my salad for a few more minutes before I clean up and head toward the courtyard to see if I could find Jess. When I find the courtyard empty, I head the office and try to see if they can tell me what room she's in.

All of the teachers, secretaries, and other faculty are a mess. I can tell they're trying to hold it together, but they're darting here and there, on phone calls, talking in hushed voices.

I'm just about to ask them about Jess when my phone rings. Mom.

I exit the office and start back toward my room.

"Hi, Mom," I answer.

"Bella! What is going on, I just saw the news. Are you at that school?" She's talking fast, barely letting me get a word in.

"Yes, I'm here. We're fine. They're just quarantining us a precaution. I'm safe."

"Are you sure? Did you know the girl that died?"

"Not really. Knew of her, but didn't really know her." I stop by my locker to get a book and continue on to my room.

"Have you talked to your dad?"

"No, I tried to call him earlier and got his voicemail."

"I called down to the station and he wasn't there. Talked to Deputy Dane, he said he'd try to get ahold of him."

"He's probably busy taking care of all this."

"Do you have your phone charger?" She asks.

"Yes, in my locker. I should be good."

"Promise me you'll keep checking in, do everything they say to do, okay?"

"I promise, Mom. Love you."

"I love you, honey."

I hesitantly hang up and slide my phone into my pocket. Even at nearly eighteen years old, sometimes you just want your mom.

When I get back to my room, they have a TV set up and the news is on. We're one of those breaking news scrolls that keep rolling across the bottom of the screen.

Washington High School under quarantine as fear of deadly illness spreads...

Great.

I lay down on my cot and find myself glued to the newscaster as they go over the same information for the next two hours. I find out the following information:

They don't know what it is.

They don't know how it's transmitted.

They don't know all the symptoms.

The CDC is studying all of the evidence to learn more about it.

They don't know how long we'll be stuck here.

As soon as that new piece of information was broadcast, the TV is shut off and put away, indefinitely.

Either the news was exaggerating, which wouldn't be surprising. Or we're being lied to and we're going to be stuck here for a lot longer than three days.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you so, so much for reading! I'm thrilled so far with the response to this story. I know it's definitely different, so I wasn't sure what to expect and I'm blown away. So thank you! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7—Charlie**

"I want my phone back, Ms. Larson." I wrap my hands around the bars of my cell, the one that I'm used to putting people in. Instead, I'm stuck in here.

"You chose to disregard a directive, Chief Swan. You were told not to contact the media, and yet we're the top story on the national news tonight." Ms. Larson barely looks at me from her paperwork. The team, my team, is working, albeit very reluctantly, for her.

"You aren't telling us everything. When you play with the lives of kids, especially my kid, I'm going to do what I have to do to protect her."

"Playing with lives?" She cocks her eyebrow. "This is not a game, Chief Swan. Until we are positive there is no direct threat to the population of this town, this state, and this country, the quarantine will stay in place. And if you can't behave yourself, so will you."

"I need to call my daughter."

"My sources tell me she has checked into her homeroom and seems to be in good health. If she's as tenacious as you, I suspect she'll handle herself just fine." Ms. Larson checks her watch. "I have a meeting I need to be at. Excuse me, please." She exits without letting me out of here, or giving me my phone back. I'm not one to name call, especially a woman. But what a...

"Chief," Deputy Smith whispers, keeping his eye on the conference room, where Ms. Larson has disappeared to for her so-called meeting.

"Yeah, Smith." I rest my forehead against the bars. They're cool and dry, a vast difference to my sweat covered skin.

"I..." He swallows hard. "Overhead some things. I don't think I was supposed to hear them."

"And?"

"I think they know more about this thing than they're letting on." He speaks in a low voice, so only I can hear. "Kept saying something about an increase in incubation time from before."

"Before?" I look up. "What did they mean before?"

"I don't know. That's all I heard."

"I want you to do something for me, Smith, but you can't let them know you're looking." I spot my phone sitting over by Ms. Larson's makeshift desk. The screen lights up and it vibrates against the wood.

"It's Bella again," he says.

I'm not an emotional person. Unfortunately, I think I passed that trait along to her. Fortunately, she's one of the only people who understands me that way. My kid, one of kind, I tell you. But, at that moment, all I want to do is rip through these bars and answer my damn phone.

"I need you to do some research. Look for blips," I say.

"Blips, Chief?" He asks, puzzled.

"Things that don't look right. Sometimes they don't look right for a reason."

"I understand." He nods. "Sure wish I could let you out of there."

"I do, too. But I don't want you getting in trouble with Larson. I need as many of you guys out there as I can. Have they sent in the suits yet?"

The suits aren't what you'd typically think of as a suit. Not a business type. I call them that because of the big hazmat type suits they wear around, looking like a God damn alien from another planet.

"Just getting ready to drop them in now. Word is they have a small group detained for the second tier quarantine."

Those poor kids. They're innocent in all this, whatever this is. None of them deserve it. Makes my blood boil just thinking about it.

"Well, let's cut the chit-chat and get to work on what I asked you to do," I say. "Git."

"Sure thing." Smith nods and walks slowly past my cell on his way to his desk. He leans down just in front, like he's going to tie his shoe, and slides my phone through the bars. I never even saw him take it from the desk. "I know if it were my kid in there, I'd be going crazy. Just, be smart about using it, if you know what I mean." He gestures to Ms. Larson, who seems to be yelling at someone on the phone in the conference room.

"Thanks, Smith." I hide the phone between my body and the wall and flip it open to send a text to Bella.

 _R U ok?_

It doesn't take her long to respond.

 _I've been calling you!_

 _I know, they took my phone away. Can't call._

 _Who took your phone away?_ She asks.

 _CDC lady_

 _Are you okay?_

I sigh. _As long as you are._ Ms. Larson opens the door to the conference room and storms out, directing the medical team to the helicopter. _G2G_

I close the phone and slide it into my pocket. Never thought I'd be so glad about Bella teaching me to text. Now, it might be my only lifeline to her.

* * *

 **A/N: Massive apologies for the longer than normal delay on this update and that it is a little shorter than the others. I went straight from having a stomach bug last week to a nasty cold this week, so I am not in the best state for writing/editing/posting. Hopefully once this passes, I'll be able to get back to a more normal posting schedule. Thanks for your patience!**

 **So, we get a little taste of what's going on with Charlie on the outside! Something definitely seems uber fishy!**


	8. Chapter 8

Hearing from my dad was nice, but it opened up a lot more questions than it answered. Mostly all but confirms the fact that something isn't right here...besides the whole deadly infectious disease thing. I just hope we can figure it out before it kills us.

"I'm really starting to worry about Jess, Bella. I still haven't heard from her," Angela checks her phone for the millionth time today and throws it back on her cot.

"She was pretty upset about Mike. Maybe she just wants to be alone." I shrug, trying not to scare Ang. When Jess is upset, the last thing she wants to do is be alone, so there's a slim chance that's what's keeping her away. I'm too worried to think about the other, much more terrifying options.

"Knock, knock." Edward pops his head into our homeroom. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You ready?"

"Sure."

Ang watches us curiously from her cot. "What are you guys up to?"

"I'm taking her out on a date." Edward smiles and presents me with exactly two roses. "Stole them from the Greenhouse club."

"I see." She smirks at me despite her worry for Jess. I try to push my anxiety back, because as much as I'm scared about Jess too, I need some relief from the constant state of terrified I've been living in since this whole thing started. "Well, you kids have fun," Ang says.

"Barrels," Edward says. "Your chariot, my lady." He steps aside, revealing an old, rusty bicycle. One with the big banana seat and wide-set handles.

"Where'd you get this?"

"Stole it from the Gym Closet."

"Is there anything from this date you didn't steal?" I ask.

"It's not called stealing. It's called improvising. I'm low on resources here, Swan, work with me."

I stare at the bike, wondering where I'm supposed to sit. Before I have another moment to think, Edward scoops me up and sets me on the seat, and then hands me a blanket. He hops in front of me and I hesitantly grab his shirt for balance as he pedals away.

"Hold on tight," he says, looking over his shoulder.

I wish I could accurately describe the look on everyone's face as we rush down the hallway, but I know I won't do it justice.

We turn the corner by the girls' bathroom and speed toward the gym. Once we get there, Edward parks the bike and I hop off, curious what kind of date he's planning in the gym.

"I don't really do sports," I say, wondering if he was planning to slaughter me in a game of Horse.

"We're not doing sports." He smirks and holds the door open for me. I duck under his arm and follow him inside.

He leads me across the gym and to the storage closet at the opposite end. He steps over some hockey sticks, rolls out a few basketball storage shelves, and pulls away a wrestling mat.

At the very back of the storage room, is a door. It looks like it hasn't been opened in about fifty years, but it's a door.

"What is that?" I ask.

"That, Bella, is a door." Edward nods, pulling it open. It creaks so loud it almost echoes in the gym.

"I know, genius. I mean where does it go?"

"It's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises." Especially as of late.

"Too bad." He holds out his hand and helps me back before allowing me inside.

Behind the door is a dark stairway going up, lit only by flickering, cobweb blanketed lights.

"How did I not know this existed?" I ask, taking a tentative step up.

"Most people don't. Nobody ever moves that mat because they just use the ones in the weight room."

"How do you know it exists?"

He shrugs. "I moved the mat. Asked coach about it and he told me no one ever uses it anymore." We continue up the stairs until we reach another door at the top. "Which I don't understand, because the view isn't too bad." He smiles and pushes it open.

The cool air of the night gives me goosebumps and I realize exactly where were are. We're on the roof of Forks' High.

"Holy cow..." I whisper.

Edward walks a few steps ahead of me and sets the blanket down on the ground. "I used to come up here sometimes before a game, if I needed some time to think or whatever." He laughs to himself. "Everyone was always wondering why I spent so much time locked in the storage closet."

I take a seat on the blanket and look off into the distance. The lights from the spotlights along the edge of the parking lot are almost blinding. The hum from the tanks is far off and loud at the same time. I can't imagine how the people who live across the street are going to sleep tonight. Although the houses look awfully dark.

"I imagine it looks a little different tonight than it normally does," I say.

"You are right about that." Edward settles down next to me and pulls his knees up to his chest.

We sit there for awhile, watching the tanks and the soldiers and the lights.

"What a circus," I say to myself.

"It's almost unreal, isn't it?"

"Like we're in a movie or something."

"Horror or science fiction?" He asks.

"To be determined."

"And how is that determined?" He smiles.

I turn to face him. "How it all ends." It's the truth. If we all die or turn into zombies or something, that's horror. If they come up with some miracle drug and we're all saved, that could be science fiction.

We try to hold a somewhat normal conversation, but it's hard. If it were any other night or any other situation, this would be a normal date. Deadly plagues kind of ruin everything.

When the conversation lulls, I lie back onto the blanket and look up at the stars. They're normally pretty bright in Forks, not dulled by the lights of a big city. Tonight, I can barely see them flickering against the bright spotlights of our boundary.

"If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?" Edward asks, settling down beside me.

"My own house. My own bed." Seems stupid when I could pick anyplace, but it's the truth. I'd give anything to be home right now.

"That's a given. Where else?"

"Paris," I admit. "I've always wanted to go to Paris. See all of the art. Sit by the Seine and sketch."

"Paris would be cool. I've always wanted to go to a deserted island and spend days just laying on the beach in the sun. Give me a break from the dreariness of Forks." His eyes flicker toward me. "Although Forks has its perks, I guess." He smiles.

"Like what?"

"The company."

"Edward, what do you like me for anyway?"

His brow furrows. "What does that mean?"

"I mean, I've been here for months and this week was the first time you really spoke to me. Why?"

"I've always thought you were beautiful, Bella."

"That's flattering, but that doesn't explain why."

"I'm really shy."

I scoff. "You? Edward Cullen...the big man on campus, star athlete, is shy? Don't believe it."

"I didn't believe it either. I was never shy until I met you. That's when I knew you were different."

"In a good way?"

"In the best way." He shrugs. "I'd been trying to play it cool and get up the nerves to talk to you, but every time I did I chickened out. Until Alice talked to me."

"Alice? She knew?"

"You ever try to keep a secret from that girl? I swear she has some kind of sixth sense."

"I know what you mean. And what did she tell you?"

"To stop being an ass, and be brave. She's a hopeless romantic." He turns his head toward me, and we're so close that our noses almost touch. "I want to be brave again."

His breath brushes my lips and I want so badly to kiss him right now. "We can't...do that," I whisper.

"Why not?" He breathes.

"No...bodily... fluids...exchanged," I stammer.

His eyes drift down to my lips before he sighs and dips into the crook of my neck, where he plants a soft kiss on my skin. "That'll have to do, for now."

My heart is beating so fast that it feels like it's going to hop right out of my chest. I'll say it again. Deadly plagues kind of ruin _everything._

* * *

 ** _A/N: STUPID. PLAGUE._**

 **Speaking of plague, I am finally somewhat back to the land of the living thanks to antibiotics. Unfortunately, it did put me quite a bit behind on my writing schedule, so I'm doing everything I can to get caught back up. Thanks for your patience :)**


	9. Chapter 9

I wake the next morning, way earlier than normal, to the sound of the speaker system screeching on above my head.

"Attention, students and staff. Everyone is required to report to the gymnasium for additional medical testing. Please make your way there in an orderly and timely fashion. Thank you."

I pull myself out of my cot and check my phone. Nothing from Dad. Literally thirty text messages from Mom. I send her a quick note to let her know I'm okay and then head toward the gym.

On the way, I stop by the girls' bathroom to brush my teeth. Plague or not, it's no excuse for gross breath.

Just as I'm finishing up, I hear something in one of the stalls.

"Hello?"

Another bang against a stall door.

I thought I was alone.

"Is someone there?"

I swallow hard, sweat beading on my forehead. I tiptoe around the sinks and push the first stall door open.

It's empty. Next one, empty. And the next.

When I get to the last one, I hold my breath and press my fingers against the cold metal.

It whips open, and Alice nearly runs me over.

"Holy shit!" I gasp, clutching my chest. Alice hops back and pulls her headphones from her ears.

"God, Bella. You scared me," she says. She steps around me and starts washing her hands at the sinks.

"Ditto." I sigh, and let myself take a few deep breaths before I move.

She glances up at me in the mirror and smirks. "I saw you were with Edward last night. How did that go?"

"Good." I nod. "He said..." I pause, wondering I should say anything. "He said you told him to be brave."

"The poor boy has been pining over you since you got here, he needed to be something other than scared." She dries her hands on a towel and tosses it into the trash.

I follow her out of the bathroom, and we join the hoard heading down to the gym.

Whatever testing this is, it's definitely more organized, and more than just the school nurse. Everyone I don't recognize is in full head to toe suits, complete with breathing machines. Three small tents are set up in the gym, each with a line nearly to the door. Long tables sit just outside the entrances, where people seem to be checking in.

I wait my turn, watching the other lines as they shrink. Edward is in the line farthest from me and he waves as I catch his eye.

When I reach the table, I'm asked my name and just a few initial questions. How do I feel? _Anxious and pissed off_. Do you feel lightheaded? _Only when I'm around Edward._

Inside the tent is a stretcher that they're using as an exam table. I pop up onto it and three suits surround me.

"Name, please," one asks.

"Isabella Swan."

"Isabella, have you experienced any signs of sickness?" He asks, sticking a thermometer in my mouth. How am I supposed to talk wit this thing under my tongue? I just shake my head.

The thermometer beeps and he pulls it out. "No fever. Reach out your arm, please."

As soon as I do as he says, another suit pokes me with a needle and draws blood. Not my favorite experience in the world.

"Have you seen anyone else display symptoms of illness?" He asks.

"No."

"Are you sure? We need to make sure we're containing the disease, it's very important that you're truthful."

"I haven't seen anyone."

"If you do, or if you start to feel ill, please contact your homeroom leader."

I watch the one who took my blood working on a small table in the back. They place several drops of my blood on a piece of paper and slide it into a machine. After a few loud beeps, it spits the sample back out.

"She's clean," the suit says.

"Very good. Please member to keep your distance from others and practice good hygiene," he says. "Exit through the door there." He points to a flap on the opposite side of the tent and I make a quick getaway.

I slide out of the gym and into the hallway, but someone grabs my arm and pulls me toward the lockers.

"You pass?" Edward asks.

"I'm standing here, aren't I?" I tease.

"What'd they do to you?"

"Just standard. Took my temperature, drew some blood."

He slings his arm over my shoulder and we start down the hallway. "So, the rectal exam wasn't standard then?" He jokes.

I lightly punch his ribs and he fakes injury.

"Want to grab some lunch?" He asks.

"Sure."

We head to the cafeteria, and join Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett at a table.

"Bella, you know everyone," Edward says, taking a huge bite of his burger.

"Mostly." I knew Alice of course, and I'd met her boyfriend Jasper a few times. The other two I knew more of them than them. The Prom Queen doesn't usually associate with the diner queen.

"How long do you guys think we'll be stuck in here?" Emmett asks.

"They said only a few days," Rosalie says. I applaud her optimism.

"They lied," I said. Everyone stops eating and looks at me. "I talked to my dad. He said something doesn't seem right. Like they're hiding things from us."

"Have you talked to your dad, Edward?" Alice asks.

"Yeah. They won't tell him anything," he says.

"What if we tell him stuff?" I drop my chicken nugget.

"What do you mean?" Edward asks.

"I mean, if they aren't telling him stuff, we can. We're here. We're the closest to everything. We can track information and tell him. Maybe he'll tell us more than they are."

Edward shrugs his shoulders. "Can't hurt." He turns over his paper place mat and pulls the pen from behind his ear. "So, what do we have?"

"Mike and Tanya, the first two victims..."

We write down everything we know about the symptoms and victims. When we're sure we have it all, Edward takes a picture of our list and sends it to Dr. Cullen. At least if we have an idea of what we're dealing with, we _might_ be able to survive it.

Edward reaches under the table and takes my hand.

I smile _. Hopefully_.

* * *

 **A/N: Do you think Dr. Cullen can help the crew make it out alive?**


	10. Chapter 10

A few hours later, we find ourselves in an empty classroom, in front of a blackboard making our notes.

"Okay, so it all started with Tanya and Mike." I write their names on the board. "What links them?"

"They were hooking up," Alice says.

"Right, so the logical conclusion is that they either got whatever this is from the same thing, or one gave it to the other."

"Is it possible there were other victims before them?" Edward asks.

"Of course, it's possible. But if it were anyone in this school, they'd be dead already. Right?" Emmett hops up onto one of the desks, his feet dangling nearly down to the floor. "I say we treat Tanya has patient zero."

"And who else has a connection to these two?" Alice asks.

I draw a line down from Mike's name and sadly write Jessica's name. I hate to say I've given up hope that she's alive somewhere, but every time I ask the teachers, they claim they don't know. I see the look in their eyes. They know.

We also write down the names of the teacher who helped Tanya in the hallway, who has been MIA, and Tanya's closest group of friends.

"So, generally, the symptoms have taken what? Two to three days to appear in some cases? Where were Mike and Tanya over the weekend, but before he went out with Jess on Saturday?" I ask.

"My party," Emmett says. "They were both at my party, remember. They were hooking up in the woods and stumbled across that-"

"Dead deer," Edward interrupts. "Could it be the deer?" He turns to Alice. "Did they touch the deer?"

"Tanya said she accidentally put her hand in the blood. She wiped it off the best she could and washed her hands inside the housebut."

"So, it could be either transferred by bodily fluids, or air."

"And if it's option two, we're all fucked right?" Emmett scoffs and looks down at the floor. He's grown more and more anxious as the conversation has gone by.

We take another few minutes and write down all of the symptoms that we witnessed, as well as what we're being told to look out for by the medical team and teachers in the school.

"I'll send this to my dad and see what he says," Edward takes a few photos of our chalkboard lists and shoots off some quick texts to his dad. Speaking of, I wonder if my dad still has his phone on him.

I pull mine out and take a minute to text him.

 **U ok?**

I breathe a sigh of relief when I see he's typing. **Ok.**

I don't know how much power he has if he's still locked up in a cell, but I figure it can't hurt to let him know we're sending info to Dr. Cullen.

 **Find Carlisle Cullen,** I send him. He responds almost instantly with a **G2G** , so I tuck my phone back in my pocket. If we were in any other situation, I'd be proud of his texting skills.

"This is just bullshit!" Emmett yells, smacking the desk so hard that I swear I see a dent in the top. "We're just caged in here waiting to die. They don't even care if we die!"

"Em..." Edward starts.

"No, Cullen! You can't smart ass or joke your way out of this. It's coming for all of us. We're all dead. I'm not just going to sit around and wait for it." He hops down and storms out of the room, Rosalie following.

"Let us know if your dad answers, Edward." Alice offers a small smile as her and Jasper leave the room.

Edward slouches down into the teacher's empty seat and closes his eyes. Although I don't like his delivery, Emmett is kind of right. I get a sense that Edward uses his wit and charm to get his way out of tricky situations, not because he's trying to manipulate people on purpose, but it's his defense mechanism. So he doesn't have to feel the rest of it.

I walk over and stand in front of him, my legs bumping against his knees.

"It's okay to be scared." I reach out and run my fingers through his hair. "You don't have to hide it."

He surprises me when his hands find my arms and then my hips, and he pulls me down into the chair with him, into an all enveloping hug.

We sit there for a few minutes before I hear someone clear their throat out in the hallway. I turn my head and see one of the CDC medics at the doorway.

"We suggest you maintain distance," he says, cold and robotic.

"I suggest you move along," I snap.

He shakes his head and continues down the hall.

"Damn, Bella. Getting all defensive and stuff, it's kind of hot," Edward says, smirking.

"Back to you, I see." Without thinking, I lean down and kiss the top of his head. Then I freeze because I can't believe I just freaking did that. "Sorry."

"I'd risk contamination for a kiss from you anyday."

I can't help but laugh. "How romantic." I glance at the clock. "I should get back to check on Ang, she's probably wondering where I am."

"Sure." He nods.

"Are you going to be okay?" I ask, standing.

"Absolutely." He leans back in the chair and throws his hands behind his head. "You know I could get used to sitting in the teacher's seat."

"Enjoy it while you can." I turn toward the door. "Talk to you later."

"Later, Swan."

I find Ang back in our room on her cot, her knees pulled up to her chest, and her head buried. She's crying.

"Hey," I say, rushing to her side. "What's going on?"

"Jess is d-d-dead," she stuters. "They, they told me. I kept asking and they finally told me."

I figured that much. I feel terrible about losing Jess, she was one of my first friends here in Forks, but it's not as bad for me as it is for Angela. They've been best friends since they were five.

When she looks up at me, I freeze.

"Ang..."

I hold my breath, partly from shock, and partly because I don't want to breathe the air.

The blood coming out of her nose is deep red, leaving a large spot on her sleeve where her head had rested.

"What?" She sniffles, and the moment she tastes the blood, I see it in her face.

"Just stay there, I'll get help."

I back away and rush out of the room. By the time I reach the end of the hall, I hear her in hysterics. I hate to abandon her. I know she's scared. I'm scared too. But I can't risk it, even if there's a good chance I'm already exposed.

I yell at the first medical person I see.

"We need some help!" I motion for him to follow me, but I stop just outside the door.

"We have a code red, I repeat, code red!" He speaks into his radio, and in less than a minute, the others swarm the room.

"This way, please," one of them orders me. My heart races as they quickly usher me down the hallway and down a set of stairs that I don't recognize. I pretty much stick to the few places I have classes, but this is new.

They push me into a room with plastic walls, sealed up on each side, ceiling and floor. I turn around as they zip me inside, all alone except for a single showerhead in the middle, and some kind of makeshift drain.

"Remove your clothes, and stand under the decontamination shower, please," someone says over a loudspeaker. I look behind me and see the troop that led me here has disappeared.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Quickly, please. Place your clothes into the bin in the corner. Stand under the shower until it shuts off."

My hands shake as I tentatively pull my shirt up over my head, tears springing to my eyes.

I glance up, looking for cameras, feeling embarrassed and vulnerable.

"No one will be watching, miss. When you are finished, please step through the door on your left. Inside, you'll find some new clothes for you to wear."

That doesn't really ease my fears, but I guess I have to trust it.

I remove the rest of my clothes and place them into the bin before standing beneath the showerhead.

The ice cold water suddenly rains down on my naked body, sending shivers from my head down to my toes. I close my eyes and wait for what feels like forever before the shower shuts off.

Shaking, my arms wrapped around my body, I follow the instructions and enter the next room. Inside, there's a set of what looks like scrubs sitting on a plain white cot. A toilet sits in the corner of the room, but other than that the room is empty.

A metal door slides shut behind me, and I'm locked inside with nothing but a small window the size of a computer screen. I pop up on my toes and look outside. The shower room is being moved by a small troop of CDC workers dressed in complete suits. I can't even see their faces.

Once it's removed, I see other doors just like mine across the way and all around me. And faces, some I recognize, some I don't, peeking out at me just like I am them.

"Oh, God." I step back from the door. This is the second tier quarantine. And I'm in it.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy Sunday!**

 **Things are starting to get even more scary on the inside. What will happen to Ang? Did Bella get exposed? And what will Edward think when Bella suddenly disappears?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Charlie**

I sent Bella a text two hours ago and haven't gotten a response. It's eating at me.

"Smith!" I call to the Deputy sitting at his desk. When he looks up, I motion him over.

"Yeah, Chief?"

"Anything come up in your search?" I lower my voice and look around to make sure we aren't being monitored. Don't like having that feeling in my own station, but it's not mine anymore. Not right now.

"Not too much." He pulls out his notepad and glances through his notes. "A few towns with outbreaks of flu like symptoms, nothing out of the ordinary. Besides that, just a few whack job conspiracy theorists."

"How whack job?"

"The usual. UFO sightings, Bigfoot's in my backyard, secret government testing facilities."

"Try me." I sigh.

"Let's see. There was a sighting of a flying light fifty miles east of Seattle three months ago. Local authorities investigated and determined it was a medical helicopter. Some people claim it's a coverup and it was an alien craft."

"Nope." I shake my head.

"Woman spots large footprints in her backyard, claims to have seen Bigfoot on her porch, turns out it was just a barefoot Peeping Tom."

"Nope."

"How about this? Remember that tiny town a few years back who had that outbreak of wildfire and most of the town was destroyed."

"Yeah? It was horrible. Got called up there to help out." It came so quick, in the middle of the night. People had no warning. I pulled so many bodies out of those houses, I didn't sleep for nearly a month. "Damn near whole town died." When you're a town of about fifty people, catastrophe like that is the end of everything.

"The lone survivor claims that there was a government testing facility located just outside the town and they accidentally released a biological weapon of some kind. Started the wildfire to cover it up."

"Say what?" My brow furrows. That doesn't sound right.

"Guy has a video blog. I wouldn't put too much stock in it, Chief, he also believes that the President is a robot replacement and the real one died two years ago in that attempted assassination. Wouldn't call him too much of a credible source. Sounds crazy to me."

"About as crazy as an entire high school of kids being held hostage with no explanation on what's going on?"

"I see what you're saying. You think it's the same thing?"

I start to wonder what would have happened if the press hadn't caught on. If this thing is anything like what happened before, and our little town could have been burnt to the ground, with all of us inside it. Someone would have been pulling our bodies out. Makes me shudder just thinking about it.

"I don't know, Smith." I sit back down and run my fingers through my hair. I need a shower, need a toothbrush, need a sane moment away from this. "Get me Carlisle Cullen."

"Huh?"

"Carlisle Cullen. Find him. Bring him here. Now." Bella said to talk to him. I guess that's the only thing I can do right now.

"Yes, Chief." Smith nods and disappears out the door, grabbing his jacket and keys along the way.

I look down at my phone again. _Where are you Bella?_

 **Edward**

"Have you guys seen Bella?" I lean into the gym, where Alice and Jasper are shooting basketball. Emmett and Rosalie sit in the stands, Emmett still looking as pissed off as ever.

"Not since we left you guys in the room," Alice says, dodging around Jasper for a quick layup.

"Okay." I walk up to Emmett and offer my hand. "We cool, man?"

He hesitates before taking a deep breath and slapping my hand. "Cool."

"I'm going to go find Bella, we'll be back." I turn and go back into the hall. I check the Cafeteria and even call into the girls restroom closest to our hallway. Then, I head back to her homeroom, thinking maybe she's checking in with Angela.

When I'm almost to her door, I know something is wrong. Very fucking wrong.

It's all blocked off with frosted plastic, but I can see people moving inside.

"Hello?" I try to pull the plastic aside.

"Step back please, sir," someone says from behind me.

"What?" I put my hands up as a natural reaction and step back. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid I can't disclose that information." A suit steps between me and the room. "You'll need to step away."

"What happened to the students who were in that room?" I ask. "Were they relocated to another room?"

"No, sir."

"What happened to the people in the room, man?" I'm feeling brave and protective and everything else, so I step in his direction.

"You need to step back, sir."

"Stop with this 'Sir' bullshit, where are the girls who were in this room?"

"It's none of your concern."

"None of my concern?" My cheeks are hot, my palms sweaty. I don't know what to do but pace. "My...friend was staying in this room, and you're telling me her whereabouts during a fucking pandemic are none of my concern?"

This time, he doesn't say a word. His silence pisses me off.

I charge him, surprising him enough that he doesn't catch me when I slip around him and burst through that plastic and into the room. Two other suits look up at me and stop what they're doing...cleaning up a huge pile of blood between Bella and Angela's cot.

 _No. No, no, no, no._

"Where is she? The girl who was in this cot?" I pick up the cot off the ground. "Where is she?!" I scream, tossing it across the room.

"Code black," one of the suits calls into his radio. "Code black, immediate assistance required."

 _Code black, what the Hell is that?_

I pull out my phone and start to dial my dad's number. I don't know what he's going to do, but I just need to talk to him.

"Edward?" He answers.

"Dad, they took her, she's gone..."

Before I can get another word out, I'm grabbed from behind and my phone falls to the ground. I hear him talking on the other end, but all I can do is scream as they pull my arms behind my back.

I feel a sharp pinch on the side of my neck and then my body goes limp and the world goes black around me. I'm gone.

I wake up, my limbs feeling like they're full of concrete and my head all foggy. I don't know where I am, I don't recognize the walls or the floor or this makeshift bench I'm laying on. My clothes are gone and I'm in nothing but a pair of hospital looking pants.

The room I'm in is no bigger than a closet, all white walls except for a door in front of me with a glass cutout.

I stand, my legs wobbling a bit. I hold on to the wall as I make my way to the window, hoping to see where I am.

When I look out, I see a room full of windows like mine. All of them empty, except for one.

One face, staring back at me. One face, one that I've come to know well over the past couple fo weeks. The last face I wanted to see in a place like this.

Bella is staring right at me, her eyes wide and her face as pale as the walls around me.

"Are you okay?" I call, unsure if she can hear me. She nods her head and points back at me. I nod.

"Are you sick?" She shrugs. _Doesn't know_.

"I went to your homeroom, I saw the blood, I..." I trail off, unable to think of the image that was going through my head at that time.

"It was Ang," Bella calls. Her voice is all muffled behind the glass, but I can make out what she's saying. "She's sick, Edward."

 _Shit._

 _"_ Well, let's just sit tight and wait this out, and we'll be out of here soon." I nod, hoping to convince myself as much as her.

I'd give anything to be able to walk out of here right now, but I won't leave without her. I won't.

She puts her hand up to the glass and offers me a smile. I do the same, wanting nothing more than to be able to touch her.

We stand at the glass until we're too tired, and then we both retreat to our so-called beds and sleep as much as we can, which for me isn't too much. My body is still weak from whatever they injected into my neck, which hurts like a motherfucker, by the way.

And despite the fact that all I want to do is break out of here, and grab her, and run, I wait. Hoping, praying, that we walk out of here alive. And together.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi all! Sorry for the delay on this, I had kind of a change of heart with a few things on this storyline so it took me a little longer to rework some things. Hope you liked hearing from Charlie AND Edward this chapter :) Poor E and B, will they be able to get out?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Previously on Quarantine... Bella is whisked away into Tier 2 Quarantine after Angela displays symptoms of the illness, only to see a familiar face in one of the other cells.**

* * *

 **Bella**

I've lost count of how long we've been in here. Several hours, definitely. A day or two, maybe. A week, who knows. The only thing keeping me going right now is the face across the room, staring back at me through his glass. The occasional smirk, even though I can see from all the way over here he's tired.

I don't have any symptoms, I don't think anyway. Besides the exhaustion and cabin fever from being stuck in this tiny compartment, I seem to be healthy. They've come in to draw my blood so much that my arms look like I have a drug habit. That'll be a nice one to explain to dad. They take my temperature to monitor any changes, but other than that, someone passes by every now and then, looks inside, and moves onto the next one.

The worst part is the screamers. I've only witnessed two, but that's more than enough for me. It's nearly dead silent until the terror comes. The blood-curdling cries that start and don't stop, even when the suits are pulling them out of their cage and dragging them out into another room. As soon as the doors close, the screaming is gone and we don't see the person back again. I try not to think about where they've gone.

I'm laying on my cot, arm over my eyes because it's too bright in here to even try to fall asleep. Suddenly, my door bursts open and two suits appear and pull me up out of my cot and into the center of the room.

Edward must have heard the commotion because he's standing at his glass watching me with wide eyes.

"What are you doing with her?" He yells. His voice is muffled through the glass, but the worry is apparent. "What the fuck are you doing?!" He pounds on the glass as they pull me toward one of the doors on the other side of the room. "Bella!"

"Edward!" I struggle, trying to get away, but I'm so disoriented and tired and hungry that I'm like a noodle.

I'm taken into another room and down a hallway, and I realize exactly where we are. Down in the basement, just outside the pool and locker rooms.

The suits push me forward and I don't know what else I'm supposed to do so I just stand there with my eyes closed. Are they going to kill me? Poke me again? Run some weird tests? I don't know that I want to know what's coming.

I count to one hundred and sixty-eight before I hear him.

"Get your hands off me!" Edward snaps.

I open my eyes and I see them bringing him down the same hallway toward me. As soon as he sees me, he stops resisting their guidance.

"What's going on?" I finally ask.

"We're releasing you to go back to your homerooms," one of the suits says.

"How?"

"Neither of you have shown any symptoms of the disease." He looks between both of us. "And we need the space," he says, lowering his voice.

"So, we're just supposed to rejoin the pack then?" Edward asks.

"Yes. On you go." He nods to the hall behind us that leads to a door, which leads to another hallway. The main hallway that has stairs at the end that go right up to the first floor and back to civilization, kind of. "Do you need an escort?"

"We can find our way just fine, thank you." Edward takes my hand and we start down the hallway, ready as ever to get the hell out of here. We both push the heavy door open, knowing it will lock behind us as soon as it closes. And it almost does.

Just before it closes, Edward grabs my arm and sticks his foot in the door, blocking it from locking us out. He waits a few moments and then peeks back inside.

"I have to see what they're up to in there..." He says.

"No." I shake my head. "It's too dangerous."

"We might never get this close again to see what's going on behind the scenes, Bella. I have to try."

"Fine." I cock my eyebrow. "I'm going with you then." Despite my exhaustion and hunger, a sudden burst of adrenaline rushes through me.

"Absolutely not."

"You're not going by yourself, Edward, it's crazy!" I look behind us down the hallway to make sure we're still alone. "What if something happens?"

"All the more reason to go by myself. I would never be okay if something happened to you." He reaches up to touch my cheek and is so close that goosebumps spring up all over my skin. But he never touches me and pulls his hand away with an exaggerated sigh. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"No. Try to make me, and I'll scream like a banshee."

For a moment, the cocky but charming Edwar returns. "This is normally where I would make a joke about making you scream, but I think it's probably not the appropriate time."

I blush. "Probably not." I look down for a few moments to catch my breath. "Well, then. Let's go."

I pull the door open and swoop in in front of him.

"Any idea where we're going?" I ask.

"As soon as I figure out what we're actually looking for, I'll let you know."

We make our way through the hallway and across the locker room, ducking behind the rows and checking around corners to make sure we're not spotted. We don't see anyone until they're nearly coming right at us.

Edward grabs my waist and spins me in toward the showers that sit between the locker room and the pool. I'm pressed up against the cold tile with his body sleek against mine, both of us holding our breath and trying not to make a sound as the two suits pass by the doorway.

It's the closest we've ever been, but we can't speak or move. Either one could kill us, but at that moment I want nothing more than to pull myself closer to him. Even with the strain of the quarantine apparent on his face, he's so handsome that I can barely string my thoughts together. They're more like a knotted ball of yarn than a single, conscious line.

The voices die down, the footsteps fade, and we stay as we are. Limbs entwined, his arms around my waist, chests pressed together, breath in sync. Maybe it's the fact that we almost just died...twice, but I've never felt more connected to a human being before in my life. It's kind of like magic.

"That was a rush, huh?" He whispers, slowly and with a slight smirk. It's not his usual cocky grin, though. This one is more serious. Like he's nervous and vulnerable and unsure of himself.

"Yeah."

 _Kiss me. I don't care about anything else, just kiss me._ I scream it over and over again in my head, hoping somehow he'll hear me.

And he does. Because the next thing I know, he licks his lips and is inching toward me. This is what I wanted, my bright spot in all of this, and it's about to happen. Finally.

Just before I close my eyes. Just before his lips touch mine, something behind him catches my eye.

"What is that?" My body goes rigid, almost like it knows something isn't right. That we're not supposed to be here, and whatever I'm about to see is going to haunt me.

Between the winding pathway that leads to the pool area, I can see a tiny sliver all the way through. The tile and walls, a bright aqua blue, stands out all on its own, but that's not what makes my heart stop.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Edward asks, gently shaking me.

"Th-th-there's...in the p-p-pool," I stammer.

He turns and starts walking toward the pool area, keeping me safely behind him and an eye on our surroundings. We stop behind the last bend before you enter the open space and hide as we look out.

"Oh God," he breathes. "There's so many."

On one side of the pool, piled up like trash, are bodies. Bloodied, bruised, battered, looking nothing like a normal person should look. Had to be at least thirty to forty of them.

I close my eyes, my palms sweating and my heart nearly beating out of my chest. I still see them. But instead of the faceless heap, I see everyone I know and love. Angela. Jessica. My dad. Emmett. Rosalie and Alice. And Edward.

When I open my eyes again, one of the faces doesn't disappear like the others do. Jessica's blank stare is looking right at me from the right edge of the mountain. There's blood over her face, coming out of her mouth and her eyes. I know this time, I'm not imagining it. She's really here. She's really dead.

Edward spots her moments later and spins me back around, away from the pool. "You don't need to see that." He kisses the top of my head. "I'm so sorry I brought you back in here."

I tremble in his arms, her face engrained in my mind forever. I can't unsee it. I can't forget. And I know, even if I make it out of here, that I'll never be the same again.

* * *

 **A/N: *Taps mic* Is this thing on?**

 **You're not dreaming or hallucinating. This update actually happened in real life. What else happened in real life? I got UBER busy. Kind of all at once and unexpectedly. So I'm very sorry for leaving you hanging, I haven't done much writing at all the past couple of months and it's been the pits. Please know that I will never abandon a story, even if it takes me awhile to get an update out, just know that I'm always working on it and it will get updated and completed. But I am sorry for making you wait so long, it was not planned. Life just kind of slapped me in the face.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this update and I very much hope I'll have another one out soon. Thank you all for being awesome and patient!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Edward**

"Love you too, Dad. Talk to you soon." I hang up my phone and set it down next to me. Bella's head is still resting in my lap and as much as I would love for her to be asleep so she could rest, I know she isn't. She probably looks the same she did last time I peeked over and looked. Her eyes just straight ahead, not quite there. Can't blame her. I wouldn't fucking be alright if I just saw one of my best friends dead in a heap of corpses.

I hate myself for letting her come back in there with me. We've been up on the roof since our release, partly to gather our thoughts and partly to get some fresh air. I'm sick of smelling death.

She didn't say much once we walked out of the showers. In fact, she hasn't said much since then either.

About an hour later, I see a police car in the distance, off behind the fence. It slows as it approaches, almost like whoever inside is surveying the area. I wonder who it is. Is it Bella's dad? I hope he knows I'm looking after our girl the best I can.

"Bella, it's getting cold. You ready to go back inside?" I ask, nudging her a bit.

"Jessica's dead," she says, in a matter of fact kind of way.

"I know."

"Angela is probably dead."

"I know." I rub her shoulders.

"We're all going to die in here."

"Hey." I pull her up. "You're not going to die. I won't let it happen, I promise." I brush a stray hair from her face and it just hurts how much I like this girl. "I'll get you out."

"Okay." She nods, tears streaming down her face. "Okay."

I pull her up into my lap and wrap my arms around her so tight that I worry I'm going to break her. But I want her to know I'm here. Feel me around her. Hold her together when she feels like she's falling apart. She did that once for me. I owe her that.

When the sun dips below the trees in front of the parking lot, we head back inside. I go to my homeroom and she goes to hers. Emmett and Jasper have a million questions about where the Hell I've been, so I fill them in.

I still don't know how long we were down there, but everything seems to have changed. No more laughing and joking or really anything. Everyone up here just stares at each other like we're already dead. Except for Emmett.

After I tell them all about what we saw, I settle down into my cot, actually thankful for being able to sleep here instead of inside that horrible cell. The lights go out, and our homeroom supervisor slides into her chair at the front of the classroom.

"Edward?" Emmett whispers from the cot beside mine.

"What?" I turn my head toward him.

He glances up at our supervisor and finds her enthralled in a book from the library.

"I think I found a way out," he says.

"A way out? How?"

"Meet me by my locker tomorrow after breakfast. I'll show you." He nods and turns away from me.

 _A way out? Is he fucking with me?_

I flip over on my side, facing the hallway. Across the way, in the other room, Bella is curled up on her cot looking straight at me. I think about all the things we could do if we got out of here. Go on a real date. Have a real first kiss. Feel normal again. God, I'd give anything to be normal. Bored even. I'd take one thousand boring days out there over one day in here.

A million thoughts run through my head. What's it like on the outside? Is it safe for us out there? Is it safe for others to be around us? Even though they let us come back up, I worry that there's more to this than what they're telling us. But the moment I see the beautiful girl falling asleep across the hall, I remember my promise to her. I would get her out. And maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll get out too.

 **Charlie**

I check my phone again, hoping to see a text or something, anything from Bella. I haven't heard from her in days and I'm going insane.

Carlisle Cullen walks through the door of the precinct. He's been doing some research for me and keeping me updated on any news from the kids.

"You hear from them, Carlisle?"

"Just did. That's why I'm here, Charlie." He pulls a folder from under his arm, all of his research and data. When he sits down in the seat just outside my cell, he looks tired and pale.

"Everything okay?" I ask.

"Afraid not. I spoke to Edward very briefly and am quite disturbed by what he told me." He fingers through his papers.

"What happened? Is Bella okay?" I spring from my seat and stand at the edge of my cell.

"It sounds like it. Both Edward and Bella were apparently...detained for a short while."

"Detained? What the hell does that mean?"

"According to Edward, they were taken to what the people running this whole thing called Tier 2 Quarantine, where the infected go."

My heart stops. _Is Bella infected_?!

"They're both fine," Carlisle says, sensing my panic. "They were released, but he was able to pass along some helpful information. They saw some unfortunate things when they were there, Charlie." He lowers his voice and glances over his shoulder to make sure we're not being watched. "This is a lot worse than they're letting on. They're putting the bodies in the pool."

The image alone is enough to make me want to throw up.

"We need to get those kids out, Carlisle. They can't be kept inside there like animals."

"I'm afraid we might not have much of a chance of that right now. Plus, things are odd around town. People aren't really leaving their homes. It's like ghost town, everywhere except for the area right around the school. Parents are still going down there every day to get information on their kids and they're not giving much out."

"Any update on what this thing is?"

"We're still not entirely sure. It doesn't seem to be airborne. Not now at least. Based on what Edward told me, it does seem to be mutating rather rapidly and appears to be a high fatality rate once contracted. The CDC won't give me any additional information or testing facilities, so that's all I have to go on right now."

"I wish I could get out of here. I feel so useless behind these bars." I make a point to stare at Ms. Larson through her conference room window. She seems to have her shit together but I'm starting to think even they don't know what the hell they're doing.

"Ms. Larson, may I have a kind word with you?" I call.

Her head lifts from her paperwork, sighs heavily, and makes her way toward my cell.

"Chief Swan, what can I do for you?" She asks.

"Can you give us a minute, Dr. Cullen?" I say.

"Absolutely. I'll just go grab a water." Carlisle nods and heads across the room to give us privacy.

"Ms. Larson, what I need you to do for me is let me out of this cell. If you don't, I have more information that can be leaked to the press and I can tell you it's information I'm sure you don't want circulating." I keep my eyes right on hers. "I'm done with this bullshit."

"Try me, Chief."

"I hear there's a pile of bodies in the pool at the high school," I say. Her face shifts. "And from your reaction, I can tell that information is correct."

"How did you come by this information?" She asks.

"Not of your concern. What is of your concern is getting the keys to this cell and opening it before I open my big mouth to the wrong person and you're the next Breaking News headline."

She stares at me for a long time, not saying a word. Not verbally anyway. The glare on her face speaks for itself.

"Deputy," she calls behind her. "Please open the cell and allow Chief Swan out." She cocks her eyebrow. "I expect that you'll be on your best behavior."

"Yes, Mom." I wait for the deputy, my deputy at that, to unlock my cell. Once it's open, I gather my belongings and step out into the precinct. Freedom.

"Carlisle, let's go." I pull my phone charger from my desk and follow Dr. Cullen outside.

The sky is gray and overcast, a perfect mirror of how this town is feeling.

"We can go to my office and talk a little more," Dr. Cullen says.

"I'll meet you there, I want to drive by the school first."

He nods and slides into his car.

As I drive toward the school, I see exactly what he's talking about. The town just looks...dead. All the curtains are closed, no one is out walking on the sidewalks. Even the trees aren't their normal green.

When I'm closer to the school, I see the tanks and the fence and spotlights and weapons. A line of parents dot one part of the fence, holding signs up like it's some kind of protest. _We want our kids back_. _Stop lying_. _Let us in_. The guards have no reaction to their screams.

I look past them toward the school, wondering where Bella was in there. Did she know I was here, just outside? Is she scared? Alone?

"Don't worry, baby. I'm going to get you out." I take one last glance at the school, and then drive away, leaving my heart there with my girl.

* * *

 **A/N: Does Emmett really have a plan? And more importantly, will it actually work?**

 **I will be on vacation next week so I will most likely not have an update out next week. Hope you all have a good week!**


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